The Solvent in the Science Book
by True2Character
Summary: What happens between the end of season 6 and the beginning of season 7? The first of the latest cases and brand new challenges awaiting every character. The question of the story: How do B&B manage to let the rest of the team in on their little secret?
1. Ch 1  Fuzzy Logic

A thick layer of sunray spotlighted dust floats in the dense air as Brennan wipes off the label of the flattened plastic bag she had hidden in the back of her Freshman year science book, _Fuzzy Logic_ written by McNeill and Freiberger. Brennan has always been a clean and well kept person, but this is one bag she thought she would never open again. The snap of surgical gloves has become a customary noise to her, as has the safety net they seem to represent. The quietness of her empty apartment and the reverberation of the plastic do not manage to distract Brennan from her fixed concentration - hardly anything ever does. The label's paper surface is scratched and the sharpie is smudged a bit, but it still clearly reads "For Future Reference – September 8th, 1995". For sixteen years, the objects in this bag have not been touched nor seen. Even the science book cracks while she opens it as if its spine is like the back of a sixty-two year old stretching before the intake of his morning coffee. Careful not to disturb the contents in the bag, she slowly opens the seal and reaches for a folded envelope.

From the outside of her locked door, a man's voice carries over into her living room, "Hey, Bones! It's me! I've got a great idea!"

The one thing that breaks her focus is _his_ voice. Leaving the plastic bag and the book on the edge of her coffee table, Brennan rises from her seat, straightens out her blouse, and quickly scuffles towards the door.

"One second, Booth!"

The routine peephole check (which has become increasingly significant over the last six years) reveals an ear to ear grin on a wide-eyed Booth. She is forced to squeak out a quick leer in his direction, but as she opens the passageway she takes complete control of her feelings. Brennan's facial expressions now resemble those of a retired Naval Officer – straight and cold, yet somehow thoughtful.

For a woman whose public affections are normally kept tucked away, worry always tends to find its way into her life. With Booth's sudden surprise visit and anxious tone, this seems like the most relevant time for such a reaction.

"What's going on, Booth?" The muscles in Brennan's eyebrows cause them to shift closer together – thus, creating the legendary 'squint look'.

"First, I need to say 'Hello'."

"But, you already did that a few seconds ago. Are you getting amnesia, Booth? You know, studies by the groups of highest ranking neurologists in the world have shown that when a person's number of age increases, they are more likely to fail to recall sensory and recollection derived ideas that are momentarily stored in the temporal lobe. It is a process called 'endocytosis'... it aids in the depletion of short-term memory. Maybe I should examine you to be entirely positive that your brain is processing correctly. You may have some lingering complications from your coma."

Booth gives her a little smirk. "Bones... I meant that I need to say 'Hello' to our baby boy." Kneeling in front of her, he gently places his hands on Brennan's belly bump and mumbles some incoherent words which, to Brennan, seem quite unnatural.

"Or girl..." Brennan adds. Soaking in the moment feels nice, but murder cases, especially ones involving deceased military soldiers, cannot wait forever. Booth always makes sure that the soldiers and their families receive the respect they deserve. "Booth, what's the great idea you've thought of?"

"I was thinking... well..."

"Go on, Booth. You can tell me."

"I was thinking about how we should tell everyone about... about us and our little Bones Jr."

Brennan pauses to regain her thoughts. She had previously had the notion that Booth had come up with a theory for the possible social implications of Mrs. Westbrook in the murder of her husband, Army Lieutenant Anthony Westbrook. They had been working the case for a few days now and every piece of evidence was pointing to Megan Westbrook - the DNA on Anthony's bloody clothes found in the storage component of her trunk (which she thought was well hidden) matching her brother Taylor, Megan being the last person to see Anthony alive, the phony alibi of her visiting a cousin in the next state over which did not fully check out, and the overwhelming sight of worry lines just across the center of her forehead during the first interrogation. Sweets was sure to point out that the lines had been there since day one. So, why is Booth not trying to find and bring her into custody, or come up with some reason to do so?

All of the investigative work aside, Brennan secretly wonders why Booth would bring up the subject of telling other people their news when _they_ don't even have all of the many complex factors sorted themselves. Parenting is a difficult and challenging task, and after all, she has by no means done anything remotely similar to raising a child before. But, instead of dwelling on her not-yet-mature expressive thoughts, Brennan chooses to do something she has never done before; she has decided to completely trust in a man, and that man is Seeley Booth.

"Om... what ... what's your plan of execution?"

"Whoa, Bones. You sound like I'm the one going to jail for murder here and not that soap opera army wife we're trying to find."

"I'm sorry, Booth. I don't know what that means. I was just wondering how you were planning to tell everyone. That's all."

"No, no, no. You know me, Bones. I was just kidding. It was a joke."

The subtle smile on Brennan's face reassures Booth that the awkward situation is resolved, but something keeps nagging at him. Something just isn't right, and he knows it. Still, he continues on. Booth has known her long enough to know that whatever is bothering Brennan will be explained in her own time.

"Well, there's this FBI... government... party type thing this weekend. I'm supposed to be getting some kind of fancy award for bringing in Broadsky, and I want you and all of the squints to be there. It'll be nice. We're all like family... well, we _are_ a family now."

While taking a few seconds to reflect on the idea, Brennan works out the pros and cons like a well oiled thought machine. The pros include the making of the official announcement of their expectance and, since it's only Wednesday, the timing would also allow for her and Booth to talk about other things before the party. On the other hand, the idea of such a public declaration scares her. Sure, blatant and truthful statements are what she does best, but this is about a baby – _their_ baby. And, shouldn't Angela and Max know before anyone else? She is Brennan's best friend and he is her father. What about Parker and the rest of Booth's relatives? Shouldn't they know? Nonetheless, if Brennan sticks with this plan then maybe it will help her overcome some of her lingering emotional fears, and she must keep in mind that there are still a few days left for her to talk with Booth if things do not seem to pan out the way she thinks they should.

"Okay. Let's go along with that plan, but I anticipate that we will have private discussions between ourselves before the announcement." Brennan pauses to take in a breath of fresh air. "We don't even know what we are, Booth. What are we... really?"

Her puzzled face explains it all. This is what was troubling Booth earlier. He understands Brennan a lot better than she is capable of imagining right now, but one day they will be on the same page... he hopes.

"Bones, I don't know what we are, but we _are_. We are together. We will be the most incredible lovers, friends, partners, and parents that anyone has ever seen. We're unstoppable... like gravity."

"That is the most scientifically appropriate thing you've ever said, Booth. Because, you know... gravity actually _is_ ultimately incessant. It holds our bodies against the terrain due to the Earth's rotation and the gravitational force..."

"It keeps us from floating away into the Milky Way, Bones."

A beaming Brennan reaches up to embrace the hug awaiting her. Just as she leans on the strength of his beating chest, she whispers in Booth's ear, "It's also the most satisfying thing anyone has ever told me."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Next chapter hint: Before finding new evidence in the following chapter, and based on your speculations so far, who do you suppose is the killer? There is still much more for our squints to examine under their microscopes. For a little bonus, when does the audience ever catch Brennan daydreaming? Click on the next chapter to find out.<em>**

_True 2 Character fan fiction is written with the intention of staying true to each character while simultaneously satisfying the minds and hearts of every fan. T2C does not own the original characters or concepts created by "Bones". T2C simply expounds upon the already existing foundation and pens new story ideas and scenarios._

_Both criticism and support of any kind is greatly appreciated._


	2. Ch 2  The Cracker Crumbles

The next day begins with many similar patterns as any other workday, but it certainly does not end the in the same manner. Then again, does any day on the job with the squints contain the overvalued substance which nearly everyone refers to as 'normalcy'?

Brennan walks into her office, sets her belongs underneath her desk, and starts to nibble on the crackers which Booth had given to her before she headed to the lab. "Ange was right. Saltine crackers _really_ do help." She thinks. Brennan slowly finishes the few crackers left on her napkin and grabs her lab coat before approaching towards the employee lounge area located on the opposing side of the Jeffersonian workspace. "I never realized how difficult it is to get bottled water in this building." Brennan immediately begins to consider the idea of reorganizing her office space to include a miniature refrigerator. She lets her mind wander as she pushes the Dasani button. The machine's humming creates a soundtrack for meditation which helps with her already developed day dreaming. "I could put a play pen against the wall next to my desk and an area for stroller storage in the back corner. I might have to remove a bookshelf, but I could make it work... Booth could bring Parker and Ange can drop of Mikey. This would facilitate the infants' development of early social interaction skills. Note to self: Get Parker a technological gaming apparatus with scientifically challenging applications and a high definition television capable of handling the amount of learning he will need. I'll have to rope off my desk and file cabinets somehow..." The soft tapping of an indistinguishable foot behind her snaps her back into reality.

"Dr. Brennan, are you okay? You look a bit dizzy. Would you like me to walk you back to your office?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Brennan doesn't even know this new security guard's name and _he_ can tell something is off. Brennan repairs her self-control and straightens out her posture before making the long trek back to the other end of the structure.

The first day Brennan arrived at the crime scene was a bad day for the cleaning crew. Not only did they have to clean up the area where a man was found gruesomely burned to death, but they also had to deal with the first day of her dreaded morning sickness. It must have been the odor of blistered tissue which ignited her bodily reaction. Although, it must be stated that whatever it was, that Brennan experienced, wasn't specifically 'morning sickness'. Having studied the physical make and organic processes of the human body, she knew that it wasn't the most appropriate universal title, but she figured that there must be some kind of plausible reason most people call it what they do. Once again, she was correct in thinking that biological studies were _her_ area of expertise. The phone call had come a few minutes after lunch, in the middle of the afternoon; therefore, the initial bout of her condition was not fully anticipated. Nevertheless, she was pleased to know that Booth was there to help her back into the SUV and take her to his apartment. The change in literal course allowed her time to freshen up and regain composure so that she could head back to the lab and work without people asking too many questions concerning her atypical state of being. He tried to stick around that day. He created the most irrelevant excuses to be at an approximate distance, just in case. Booth knew that this day signified Brennan's physical journey around her uncharted territory. It took Brennan five tries to convince him to leave and go to the Hoover building before he would exit those glass and steel constructed double doors.

Brennan stops by Cam's office to grab some case files for further inspection before heading to the main examination room. Now that the flesh has been chemically removed and the bones have been laid out on the examination table, Brennan can properly access the challenge at hand – determining the murder weapon.

An hour later, Brennan and Wendell conclude the initial exploration of the fatal journey of the two hundred and six bone skeleton and come up with only a slight hairline fracture on the foremost area of the scalp and some evidence of six days old bruising along the wrists. While only a few steps short of her office doorway, Brennan notices an outline of a body waiting in one of her chairs.

"Excuse me. Who, may I ask, directed you to my offi... Ange! I was not expecting you back at work until at least a week from now. How are you and Mikey?"

"Oh, Honey... you know no one can work the Angelatron but me. We figured that out a while ago when they thought the murder weapon was a bowling ball, but it was actually a helmet. Yeah, I could've figured that out in two seconds, give or take a second. So, I guess that's why Cam called me. And, Mikey's over there in his daddy's arms." Angela nods towards her open office doorway. "I just hope Hodgins doesn't try anything stupid in the lab. I told him specifically to stay in my work area and not to leave; otherwise, Mikey will be exploding things before he's a year old."

The two share a few muted chuckles and a warm sisterly embrace.

"I'm so glad you're back! I've missed you around the lab."

"I've missed you too, Temperance."

Brennan notices Ange looking at the cracker box on the edge of her desk. Angela may not be a multimillionaire genius like Brennan, but she is no fool. Call it "mother's intuition" or something like it, but since Michael's birth, Angela has developed an even better sense of awareness to detail than she had had before. Her artwork should share in the repercussions of the resounding effect. In no time, a very surprised look comes across Angela's face, along with a smile so big that it could blind a surfer's sunglass protected eyes.

"Bren?"

Brennan's apprehensive look never fails to escape her no matter where she goes or who she is with.

"Bren, are you... no. _Please_ don't tell me you just wanted a snack and stole these from my office while I was gone."

"No, I didn't steal them from you. Booth gave them to me." Becoming aware of Angela's lack of change in facial expressions, and the fact that Angela was not at all worried about her possession of saltine crackers, Brennan decides to shift her own eyes from indicating anxiousness to clarifying her long awaited relief. She has never been able to keep a secret from Angela. In fact, she stopped trying after an overwhelming fail concerning her college years, which will not be mentioned ever again. "I told Booth I wouldn't tell anyone. Promise me you won't say anything. You can't even tell Hodgins. Booth has devised an elaborate plan for the announcement."

With the sound of two swift knocks, Cam rushes (in her own pace) into Brennan's office without looking up from the papers in her hands. "The lieutenant suffocated under water before being burned. His lungs used to be full of Hydrogen and Oxygen, along with the usual chemical makeup of smoke and gasoline which was used to ignite the fire. Luckily the interior tissue wasn't completely disintegrated, therefore..." Cam glances from her notes. "...Oh. Hello, Angela. I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"No." The two reply in perfect unison.

As Angela makes her way out the door, she turns to mouth the words "I promise" and, in return, she receives an eyebrow raise and a half-smile from her best friend.

Cam and Brennan continue discussing their findings when Brennan's phone begins to ring her hideously outdated ringtone. It sounds like the noise heard coming from an operating rotary dial telephone.

"Brennan."

"Hey, Bones. How are you and Little Bones Jr. doing? Have you felt bad today?"

"No, Booth. We're okay. The bones are clean now."

Cam takes a quick look in Brennan's direction. "Seeley normally doesn't want to know about the maintenance of the bones... was someone injured because of the grime on the bones? Should I look at something more specific concerning the cleaning?" Covering the speaker on her phone, Brennan replies, "No. Everything is fine." Cam exits the room, but not before she makes sure that Brennan knows to reach her a problem arises.

"Hey, Bones. You still there? What was Cam talking about?"

"Yes, I'm here. And, nothing... it was about bones. What have you found?"

"I finally got the brother-in-law's records. Turns out, Mr. Taylor Jernigan has a few felonies and some jail time under his belt. Because of the DNA match we found, I'm getting a speedy arrest warrant. I'm bringing him in for questioning as soon as I get the paper in my hands."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next chapter hint: U.S. Attorney Prosecutor Caroline Julian makes an appearance to assist Booth and Brennan with the current case pertaining to the death of Army Lieutenant Anthony Westbrook. Click on the next chapter to dig even deeper into this mystery!<strong>_

**Question to ponder: The Earth is like _FILL IN THE BLANK ?_**

_True 2 Character fan fiction is written with the intention of staying true to each character while simultaneously satisfying the minds and hearts of every fan. T2C does not own the original characters or concepts created by "Bones". T2C simply expounds upon the already existing foundation and pens new story ideas and scenarios._

_Both criticism and support of any kind are greatly appreciated._


	3. Ch 3  My, oh my, Cheri!

Brennan, along with her Burberry trench coat, arrives at Booth's office at two o'clock in the afternoon. Booth meets her halfway and proceeds to help remove her coat and hang it on the hook on the back of his door. It sways gently across the grain of the wood.

"I think I need to buy you a coat rack, Booth. It's conventional, but fairly necessary."

"I should've thought of that a long time ago." He nods in agreement. "Instead of investing in a practical coat rack, I bought a portable iron that I've never used. It's still in the box."

In the comfort of his window blinded office, the two share a hurried, though relatively affectionate embrace. This hug is a tad unlike their typical ones. Booth's hands are not interlocked behind Brennan's lower back and hers are not joined together behind his neck. This time, Booth's fingers trace the slight indention of her belly button on the exterior of her cotton blouse while Brennan takes hold of his toned forearms.

"It's very similar to science and the Earth, you know, Bones?"

"Yes. I agree. It is continuously in motion, producing growth, and spinning on its axel so slowly that the activity cannot be seen in one sitting or through a singular perspective."

"It's the most natural thing in the universe..."

"...that we have had the technology to discover – yes." Brennan, being caught up in the moment, reacts with sensitivity rather than her mind. "I am gradually learning that it is where love, passion, and hope dwell."

"It's where life is, Bones... however crazy and beautiful it may be."

"And, somehow, through every obstruction that the environment surprises it with... it continues to grow."

A few silent words are spoken through the art of interpolation with the eyes.

"You're going to be the best mother in the world. You know that, Bones?"

"I am far beyond being strongly convinced that I will find more gratitude in nurturing our child together than I will in being the best forensic anthropologist in the world. And, you... you are already the best father in existence."

Silence enters the room like a ghostly fog. Though both faces are all smiles, Brennan decides to fill the emptiness with only the most rational thought.

"You remind me of certain ancient Egyptian fathers - the peasants, to be exact. The culture was one of the few to possess utterly strong familial ties and the fathers put their children's lives in front of their own. Many cultures during early periods of history did not focus on family and very few were monogamous. You, Booth, are an ancient Egyptian father."

"I sort of know what that means... so I'm going to be safe and take that as a glorious compliment. Wait a second here... you're not going to make me wear sandals out in public are you? I mean, I'll do it... but..."

"No, Booth. Of course not." Brennan sneaks in a sly, but uplifting look.

Every touch makes the present feel more real and the future more within reach for Brennan. Five years ago, she would not have dreamed of settling with a lifelong partner, much less creating a family. Whatever, whichever, or whoever threw Brennan off of her track, that she deeply believed she was destined to travel on, is truly a blessing in disguise.

"My, oh my, Cheri. I sure hope I haven't interrupted anything. Wait. I take that back."

Looking somewhat dishevelled, the two partners try to avoid the awkwardness that is Caroline Julian by jumping straight into work.

"Have you got my warrant?"

"If there's something I need to know, Cheri, you just tell me. Okay? You know I'm going to figure it out whether you tell me or not, but I sure hope one of you manage to tell me before that happens."

"My warrant?"

"Here you go, Seeley. And, I meant what I said."

As Booth heads out the door, Caroline turns to Brennan and mutters, "I'll be happy when I see _something_ change around this place."

"I am not sure which kind of modification you are referring to, because there is a great variety to sort through, but I suppose that you will be very pleased. There will be much alteration."

"I hope you're not talking about a new dress, Dr. Brennan."

"I don't know what that means, but... Oh! You made a joke about the subject of alteration! You're using the contrast of the alteration of a dress and the alteration of life to be the base of a humorous statement. Your speech contains much wit, Caroline."

After finding that Brennan is not following him, Booth pops his head back into his office. In a rush to escape the vocal and physical range of his helpful attorney, he notions towards Brennan.

"You coming, Bones?"

"Right behind you, Booth."

The two walk towards the elevator leaving Caroline with a bobblehead like expression. While the metal doors close, they watch as she scuffles down the hallway shaking her head in confusion and disorientation.

Once they arrive at the interrogation door, both Booth and Brennan shift into their investigative and professional modes. The lock opens a closes with a click, but something about this suspect doesn't. Booth does his routine stare down while Brennan skims the atmosphere and visibly apparent details relating to Mr. Taylor Jernigan.

There's a reason behind giving a suspect their respectful titles of 'mister' or 'misses'. With different personalities, the choice of either using or disregarding their title either helps raise or lower the suspect's level of superiority. Booth is always sure to keep them at a lower level in order to extract the most vital information from them. However, sometimes he must cross out that rule with the purpose of achieving the same goal, although this strategy is less common. Mr. Jernigan comes from a high class, yacht yielding family with governmental connections all over the United States. All of them, of course, are confidential and none of his acquaintances are cooperative. It will take a lot of digging to uncover this one. Booth commences the shovel's operation.

"Mr. Jernigan, where were you the night of May 30th?"

"I was out at the dock with some friends. John, Darin, and I went sunrise kayaking after camping out on the beach all night."

"What are John and Darin's last names, and is there anything important..."

"and criminally relevant..." Brennan quickly throws in before Booth gives her a gentle, yet lofty glance.

"that we should know about them?"

"John McCarley and Darin Landis. They're old college buddies. We graduated from Yale together. I love the guys, but they went off and got doctorates in the medical field when they should've stuck with business degrees."

Bones gives Booth an all too familiar look that immediately shows how she thinks the suspect is one hundred percent guilty... guilty of a lack of knowledge. "Mr. Taylor, are you aware that your friends are operating in a field which requires much more effort concerning the scientific realm of convalescing life itself, where as you are helping generate a political and money driven society? If I were a gambler, I would bet that their medical field related events and fundraisers help introduce them to all sorts of diverse and influential people whom you would probably like to meet."

On the fly, Bones decides to incorporate money and politics into the interrogation in an attempt to reveal as much withheld information as possible. Although, she did not expect gambling to arise as the interrogation proceeded. It must have made Booth a tad uncomfortable and maybe even threw him off of his game for a second or two.

"What did she just say? Did she just take a stab at telling me that John and Darin are more accomplished or... or... or better... or more skilled than I am? That they have more powerful connections than I do? Who does she think she is? I want her out of here! Now! I won't say another word until _she's_ gone."

"It's okay. I'm going... geez, calm down. You're just a businessman."

Booth's gut feeling causes him to pay closer attention to the look in Mr. Jernigan's eyes.

"Jernigan..." The agent's voice grows deeper and more forceful with every passing second.

It doesn't take but a step or two of the sound of Brennan's heels hitting the tile floor before Taylor Jernigan's rage tips over and enflames his reactionary muscles. He springs up from his seat just as Brennan reaches for the doorknob, and he grabs her by the arm. A single jerk throws her up against the wall, but before he can lay another hand on her, Booth constrains Jernigan to the ground and swears to smash his head in if he ever touches his partner again. Booth hands him over to the agents waiting in the entryway so that he can care for Brennan.

"Bones, are you okay? Are you injured? Did he hurt you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, Booth. He just grabbed my arm. It was nothing."

"You are going back to the lab and you are not getting anywhere near any kind of fieldwork for this case. I know you're safer there. I don't want you around all these crazy people."

"Booth!"

"No. Uh, uh. Go back to the lab and work on that skeleton. You can find me a murder weapon... alright, Bones?"

In rage, her eyes light up as if they are peering into a microscopic lens while her brow furrows into a squint-like countenance. Having lost completely the immediate adrenaline rush, Brennan sighs heavily and makes her disappointment known, but doesn't try to argue. Booth tells the other agents to hold the suspect until he gets back. The entire ride to the lab is the most silent car ride the two have shared since the day they met. When the team asks Brennan what happened, all she can come back with is that she can't be in the field. Naturally, they ask her why, but she changes the subject to trying to determine the murder weapon which would coincide with the cause of death: severe trauma to the frontal scalp. It wasn't until she was alone with Angela and Mikey in front of the big screen Angelatron before she could open up about the situation.

"I've narrowed the murder weapon down to a few different objects. Hodgins sent over the information he received from examining the particulates on the bloody clothes. He found tiny ceramic tile chips and steel metal residue." Angela knows that when Brennan loses professional attentiveness, then she has the obligation to speak up and start the friendly, yet normally dreaded psychological conversation. "Honey... what's wrong?"

"... It's Booth. He doesn't want me out in the field. I don't comprehend his reasoning. I always go out into the field with him. I've done it a hundred times, roughly estimating the numbers of course."

"I can understand why you would be a little upset about being banned from areas involving shootouts and kung fu fighting criminals, but are you sure that's what's _really_ bothering you? I know you pretty well, Bren... and..."

"...He was so stern. So demanding. He didn't even give me a choice. I know I overstepped his boundary during the questioning, but Ange... Booth almost looked angry."

"Bren, he's the father of your unborn child. Booth was probably just worried about you and the baby. He might've even been a little scared, and he was angry at the guy who threw you against the wall... not at you." In an attempt to further explain, and perhaps console her closest friend, Angela carries on. "Look sweetie, as an expecting father, he more than likely feels as if he is supposed to protect you... like he is responsible for your wellbeing. He just doesn't want anything to happen to you. He loves you, Bren."

"I guess I can see why he would do what he did, but... why does it have to be any different than it was before? I think that I should still be able to do _some_ field work. I don't see why _that_ has to necessarily change. I can still work on cases, be useful, and pregnant at the same time, right? You were."

"Well, maybe if you talk to him about it and reason with him, he'll reconsider his decision. He _did_ say all of those things during a stressful time, didn't he?"

"Yes. He did, and maybe talking with him about it once his heart rate slows will be beneficial. I understand much more now. Thank you, Ange."

Just as the sisterly hug is at its emotional peak, full of tears and delicate smiles, Wendell walks in with a plunger.

"That's what I was going to tell you about, Bren."

"Ah... Good work guys. I've got to call Booth and tell him that we've got a murder weapon. Now, we just have to locate it."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Next chapter hint: What exactly is the murder weapon? And, how does it help us find the murderer? Click "next" to find out more!<em>**

_True 2 Character fan fiction is written with the intention of staying true to each character while simultaneously satisfying the minds and hearts of every fan. T2C does not own the original characters or concepts created by "Bones". T2C simply expounds upon the already existing foundation and pens new story ideas and scenarios._

_Both criticism and support of any kind are greatly appreciated._


	4. Ch 4  The Glare

A sunbeam of radiance comes across Brennan's cheek as she stares out of her office window towards the laboratory platform. Persistent waves of unusual emotion have been causing her to take more frequent breaks. They are not described as being longer in lengths of time, but her breaks are simply six different moments scattered throughout the day of pacing around her office rather than her average three. This is not a significant distinction for most hard working women, but Dr. Brennan's overly alert squints are bound to notice the slight off-balanced atmosphere. Brennan's eyes shift from the busy workers in dark blue lab coats to the newly repaired glass in the ceiling. It looks somewhat different than the rest and the pane seems to let more light into the Jeffersonian Institute. Almost nothing could remove her intent look, but once again, the only thing that can has managed to sneak in right underneath her nose.

"Bones, how in the world are we supposed to find this one toilet?"

Brennan is startled and shaken from her focus. She gasps quietly and, without moving her feet, regains her poise before replying to the man walking up behind her.

"I don't know, Booth."

"Well, I guess I _could_ start snooping around Westbrook's current residence and ask around about any broken fixtures." Booth places one hand on his hip and the other on the wall next to Brennan while he crosses his ankles showing purple and yellow striped socks. "It's a pretty small town, so someone might know about the maintenance of the local shops or whatnot."

"I'm not sure about that plan, Booth. The murder weapon could be a sink, bathtub, urinal, tile countertop, or toilet in any home, public transport area, place of business, recreational complex, hotel…" Brennan continues naming a few more locations before her partner leans into her general area in aims of halting the investigatory side of his partner. "Booth, Booth… no." She gently pushes him away with her right hand.

Flashbacks of "I'm the gambler…" and "I'm that guy. Bones, I'm that guy. I know…" spiral around and play like an old grainy film in his mind. The immediate memories cause him to shut his eyes and bring his head towards his torso. Letting out a heavy sigh, Booth averts his eyes to the glare racing across the love of his life's soft face as she turns towards him.

"I'm sorry, Bones." The agent tries to put on a fake smile and clears his throat as he finds his deep masculine voice. "It's just that sometimes I think this is all just a dream, you know? It's so surreal…" He trails off while trying to explain his reasoning. "But, that won't happen again, Bones. I promise."

"Don't say that. Maybe it will one day, just not today."

With Brennan's playful smirk and the hope of a time when he can show his love for her openly and freely, Agent Booth puffs his chest out and proudly showcases his pearly whites. Now, Brennan notices, even more luminosity is shining through.

Booth's Rockport Oxfords, along with his purple and yellow socks, spin on their heels and begin to head out of her office door when he hears the one thing he has waited to hear since he was reinstated after his brain surgery.

"Oh, and Booth…" Brennan waits to for him to glance back in her direction. "Your brain activity is functioning correctly and is transmitting the proper neural information. This is not an illusion that has been influenced by stimulatory outside factors or one which you have built with your labyrinthine imagination. You are not in an abstract state of mind."

It probably wasn't exactly how he imagined it would sound, but then again he certainly didn't expect what he is expecting now, either.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Next chapter hint: It seems as if Booth has a lot more to deal with than just his normal murder suspects as more intricacies begin to emerge. Click "next" to find out more!<em>**

_True 2 Character fan fiction is written with the intention of staying true to each character while simultaneously satisfying the minds and hearts of every fan. T2C does not own the original characters or concepts created by "Bones". T2C simply expounds upon the already existing foundation and pens new story ideas and scenarios._

_Both criticism and support of any kind are greatly appreciated._


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